Switch device with illuminated switch handle



Dec. 27, 1966 E. J. M LAUGHLIN 3,294,945

SWITCH DEVICE WITH ILLUMINATED SWITCH HANDLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 18, 1965 T FIG.2.

INVENTOR [HI I "-1111 Emmett J Mc Loughhn ATTORNEY SWITCH DEVICE WITH ILLUMINATED SWITCH HANDLE Filed March 18, 1965 De 27, 1 966 E. J. MCLAUGHLIN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LOAD FIGS.

LOAD IOC United States Patent 3,294,945 SWITCH DEVICE WITH ILLUMINATED SWITCH HANDLE Emmett James McLaughlin, Fail-field, Conn., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a

corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 440,712 8 Claims. (Cl. 200-167) V The present invention relates to switches and more particularly to switches in which the operating handle is provided with a light source energized by means of connections made to the switch terminals.

The primary purpose of a lighted switch handle is to provide an indication of the location of the switch especially in a darkened room. Typically, a neon bulb is disposed in a cavity within the switch handle and it is connected to a ballast resistor with the free lead of the bulb and the free lead of the resistor energized from the switch terminals when the handle is in an off or other position.

In mercury switches, connections of the bulb assembly leads can be conveniently made to the contact portions of the mercury button since the button pivots with the switch handle. In conventional mechanical switches, however, the bulb assembly leads must ultimately be connected to fixed terminals and no inherent pivot connection is available as in the mercury switch. The bulb assem bly leads thus must be disposed for flexing movement as the switch handle is pivoted or they must be connected for current transfer through a sliding contact arrangement. The latter approach oifers durability advantages over the flexible lead approach and it is therefore the preferred approach if the sliding connection can be made through efiicient use of connection structure.

By the broadest terms of the present invention, a glow handle switch comprises a housing with two or more terminals disposed therein and an actuating handle which operates mechanically to make and break contact between contacts electrically common with two of the terminals. A light source assembly having flexible wire leads is disposed within the handle. Structural means are provided on the handle for supporting the assembly leads for direct sliding conductive engagement with a pair of resilient brushes respectively supported for conductive connection of two of the terminals. In this manner, the sliding connection is made with eificiency from the standpoint of the manufacturer as well as that of the user.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a novel glow handle switch in which the handle light sourceis efficiently energized.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel glow handle switch constructed with manufacturing convenience.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel glow handle switch structured in a manner characterized with operational durability.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide a novel glow handle switch in which flexible light source assembly leads are used directly to establish a sliding connection for lamp energization.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description along with the attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a longitudinal section of a glow handle switch constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the switch of FIG. 1 with the cover and yoke removed;

FIG. 3 shows a side elevational view of a handle employed in the switch of FIG. 1;

3,294,945 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 FIG. 4 shows an end elevational view of the handle of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a vertical section of the handle of FIG. 3 and a neon bulb assembly disposed therein;

FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of contact and terminal structure employed in the switch of FIG 1;

FIG. 7 shows a schematic circuit illustrating the manner in which the switch of FIG. 1 can be used;

FIG. 8 shows contact and terminal structure of another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 9 shows a schematic circuit illustrating the manher in which the embodiment of FIG. 8 can be used.

More specificall3 there is shown in FIG. 1 a glow handle switch 10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention and having a conventional insulative housing 12 within which terminals 14, 16, 18, and 20 (FIG. 6) are seated in pockets 22, 24, 26 and 28 respectively. The housing 10 can include separate base and cover parts 30 and 32 secured together by a mounting yoke 34 and securance screws 36.

The terminals 14, 16, 18 and 20 are each provided with a screw 38 or other suitable wire attachment means and adapt the switch for three-way operation. A conductive bridge member 40 engages the terminals 14 and 20 with resilient tabs 42 to establish a common connection therebetween.

The terminals 14 and 20 are provided with respective resilient contact arms 44 and 45 extending toward the terminals 16 and 18. Mating contact means 46 are provided on the terminal 16 and the contact arm 44 and mating contact means 48 are provided on the terminal 18 and the contact arm 45. The contact means 46 or the contact means 48 are normally in engagement and are disengaged by operation of an actuator handle 50 pivotally supported by means of trunnions 52 extending laterally outwardly from a handle body portion 54 and seated on a base wall portion 56 or 58. A lever portion 60 (FIG. 1) of the handle 50 projects through openings 62 and 64 in the cover 32 and the yoke 34 so as to enable the switch to be operated.

To provide for overcenter movement of the handle 50, a toggle linkage portion 66 of the handle 50 is captively seated on a resilient overcenter device 68 which in turn is disposed in a housing pocket 70. The toggle operation produced by the overcenter device 68 is more fully described in US. Patent 2,809,246, entitled Switch Construction, filed by O. L. Taylor on February 27, 1953, and assigned to the present assignee.

Contact control is provided by cam portions 72 and 74 located oppositely on the handle trunnions 52 (FIG. 2) and extended downwardly to engage projecting tabs 73 and (FIG. 6) on the contact arms 44 and 45. Since the switch 10 is designed for three-way operation, the cam portion 72 is formed to engage the tab 73 and disengage the contact means 46 in one extreme position of the handle 50, and the cam portion 74 is formed to engage the tab 75 and disengage the contact means 48 in the other extreme position of the handle 10.

' A glow lamp assembly 76 (FIG. 5) includes a neon bulb 78 and a ballast resistor 80 and it is disposed in a cavity 82 within the handle 50. To provide a suitable glow effect, the handle 50 can be formed from a translucent plastic material.

A common lead 84 connects the resistor 80 to the bulb 78 and a bulb lead 86 and a resistor lead 88 are extended outwardly of the handle cavity 82 for electrical connection to the terminals 16 and 18. An insulative cover 90 is disposed against the handle body 54 and over the handle cavity 82 and it can be suitably snapped or tightly and held in place by the overcenter device 68 3 which engages the handle linkage portion 66 extending inwardly of the switch 10 from the handle cover 90.

, Shoulders 92 on opposite sides of the handle cover 90 limit inward movement of the cover 90 against the handle body 54. The handle cover 90 thus retains the bulb assembly 76 within the handle cavity 82 and suitable means, preferably a slot 94 disposed on each handle cover side for the respective leads 86 and 88 as well as mating slots 96 (FIG. 1) in the handle body portion 54, provide for extension of the leads 86 and 88 from the handle cavity 82 to the handle exterior.

The handle 50 is structured to support substantially fixedly free end portions 98 and 100- of the leads 86 and 88 for a direct and efficient sliding connection to the terminals 16 and 18 through respective brush members 102 and 104. Preferably, the handle structure directed to this end includes spaced outwardly facing arcuate grooves 106 and 108 generally extending in the direction in which the handle 50 pivots. The lead end portions 98 and 100 thus are seated in the grooves 106 and 108 and extend in the pivot direction so as to assure continuous contact with the brush members 102 and 104 in all pivotal positions of the handle 50.

To facilitate lead placement in the grooves 106 and 108, the grooves 106 and 108 are disposed between the cam portions 72 and 74 and the cover 90 in communication with the body and cover slots 94 and 96. The grooves 106 and 108 further have respective bottom surfaces 110 and 112 which curve about the pivot axis of the trunnions 52. The lead end portions 98 and 100 extend from the slots 94 and 96 and are bent into the grooves 106 and 108 as indicated by the reference character 114 and extend about the trunnion pivot axis and along the groove bottom surfaces 110 and 112 thereby facilitating continuous contact between the lead end portions 98 and 100 and the brush members 102 and 104. Lead ends 116 and 118 can be relatively sharply bent out of the grooves 106 and 108 and against a handle or cam portion surface 119 as indicated by the reference character 120 (FIG. so as substantially to prevent withdrawal of the lead end portions 98 and 100 along the grooves 106 and 108 and thereby to assure a substantially fixed placement for the lead end portions 98 and 100 in the grooves 106 and 108.

From a dimensional standpoint, the grooves 106 and 108 preferably are sufficiently wide to accommodate the lead end portions 98 and 100 and the brush members 102 and 104 in an overlapping relationship but not so wide as to enable the lead end portions 98 and 100 and the brush members 102 and 104 to be disposed in the grooves 106 and 108 in side-by-side relation without actually engaging each other. The groove depth is preferably sufficient to accommodate the lead end portions 98 and 100 and the brush members 102 and 104 in the described overlapping relationship, and special wall structure can be molded for this purpose if the downwardly projecting extent of the cam portions 72 and 74 is otherwise msuificient.

The brush members 102 and 104 are elongated conductive arms extending from contact bearing portions 122 and 124 of the terminals 16 and 18 into engagement with the lamp assembly lead end portions 98 and 100 in the handle grooves 106 and 108. Preferably, the brush members 102 and 104 are sufficiently resilient to produce contact pressure against the lead end portions 98 and 100 and thereby establish a positive sliding connection. Suitable lubricant'can be used on the brush members 102 and 104 to reduce friction with the lead end portions 98 and 100. A resilient wire strip, having a U-shaped end portion 126 for conductive attachment to the terminal portion 122 or 124, is preferably employed in forming each brush member 102 or 104.

During switch assembly, the U-shaped brush end portion 126 is fitted through a hole 128 in the terminal portion 122 or 124 until an end arm 130 is disposed against a terminal portion edge 132 or 134. The wire brushes 102 and 104 are then substantially limited in rotative movement and extend in a direction aligned with the direction of the handle grooves 106 and 108. When the handle 50 is finally assembled in the switch 10, the wire brushes 102 and 104 are captivated in the handle grooves 106 and 108 and brush end portions 136 (FIG. 1) are then resiliently deflected inwardly of the switch housing 12 to produce reactive positive intersurface en gagement of the brush U-shaped portions 126 with the terminal portions 122 and 124 especially in the region indicated by the reference character 138 (FIG. 6).

As shown schematically in FIG. 7, a three-way circuit 140 includes a pair of switches 10a and 10b connected between power lines 142 and 144 to energize a load or lamp 146. Bulb assemblies 76a and 76b are continuously connected across switch interconnection lines 148 and 150. In the switch position shown, the load or lamp 146 is off and the bulbs in the assemblies 76a and 76b are energized. If the switch 1011 or 10b is pivoted to its other position, the load becomes energized and the assembly bulbs are deenergized.

In a schematic circuit 152 shown in FIG. 9, a single Way switch 10c is connected to energize a load 154 from power lines 156. The switch 10c is bridged by bulb assembly 760 which is energized when the switch 10!: is in the illustrated off position. When the switch is turned on to energize the load 154, the bulb in the assembly 760 is deenergized.

Suitable contacts, terminal and brush structure for the switch 100 of FIG. 9 is shown in accordance with the principles of the invention in FIG. 8. In this case, one of the contact arms is eliminated leaving only a contact arm 450. Only terminals 140, 18c and 200 are provided and a wire attachment screw 38 is added to the terminal 200 while the terminal is made blank. A wire brush 104a is extended from the terminal as in the embodiment of FIG. 6, but a wire brush 102c is extended from the terminal 140 in the opposite direction. In other respects including the character of the connection of the brushes 102c and 1040 to the bulb assembly leads 86 and 88, the structure of FIG. 8 is employed in a switch in a manner similar to that already described for the structure of FIG. 6.

The foregoing description has been set forth only to illustrate the principles of the invention. Accordingly, it is desired that the invention be not limited by the embodiment described, but, rather, that it be accorded an interpretation consistent with the scope and spirit of its broad principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A glow handle switch comprising an insulative housing and an operating handle movably supported in relation to said housing to actuate at least one contact arm for circuit making and breaking purposes, a pair of spaced terminal means supported by said housing, a light source assembly disposed within said handle and having flexible leads extending outwardly of said handle, means on said handle supporting respective end portions of said leads, a pair of resilient brush means, means for respectively connecting said brush means to said terminal means and for supporting said brush means in sliding engagement with said lead end portions, said lead end portions disposed to maintain continuous engagement with said brush means in all positions of the movable handle.

2. A glow handle switch comprising an insulative housing and an operating handle movably supported in relation to said housing to actuate at least one contact arm for circuit making and "breaking purposes, a pair of spaced terminal means supported by said housing, a light source assembly disposed within said handle and having flexible leads extending outwardly of said handle, means on said handle supporting respective end portions of said leads, a pair of resilient brush members having respective portions in sliding engagement with said lead end portions,

and means for conductively supporting said brush members on said terminal means, said lead end portions disposed to maintain continuous engagement with said brush members in all positions of the movable handle.

3. A glow handle switch comprising an insulative housing and an operating handle movably supported in relation to said housing to actuate at least one contact arm for circuit making and breaking purposes, a pair of spaced terminal means supported by said housing, a light source assembly disposed within a cavity within said handle, said handle having a pair of outwardly facing arcuate grooves, said light source assembly having a pair of flexible leads with lead end portions thereof extending outwardly of said handle and respectively disposed along said grooves, means substantially fixing said lead end portion against withdrawal along said grooves, a pair of resilient brush members, means for respectively connecting said brush members to said terminal means and for supporting said brush members in sliding engagement with said lead end portions in said grooves, the brush members maintaining continuous engagement with said lead end portions in all positions of the movable handle.

4. A glow handle switch comprising an insulative housing and an operating handle movably supported in relation to said housing to actuate at least one contact arm for circuit making and breaking purposes, a pair of spaced terminal means supported by said housing, a light source assembly disposed in a cavity within said handle, a cover member disposed over said cavity and retaining said light source assembly therein, slot means extending from said cavity to the exterior of said handle, said handle having a pair of outwardly facing arcuate grooves, said light source assembly having a pair of flexible leads extending outwardly of said handle through said slot means with end portions of said leads disposed in and extending along said grooves, means substantially fixing said lead end portions against withdrawal along said groove-s, a pair of resilient brush members, means respectively connecting said brush members to said terminal means and for supporting said brush members in sliding engagement with said lead end portions in said grooves, the brush members maintaining continuous engagement with said lead end portions in all positions of the movable handle.

5. A glow handle switch comprising an insulative housing and an operating handle movably supported in relation to said housing to actuate at least one contact arm for circuit making and breaking purposes, a pair of spaced terminal means supported by said housing, a light source assembly disposed in a cavity within said handle, a cover member disposed over said cavity and retaining said light source assembly therein, slot means extending from said cavity to the exterior of said handle, said handle having at least one cam portion disposed for operating the switch contact arm, said handle having a pair of outwardly facing arcuate grooves disposed to opposite sides of said handle cover, said handle cam portion disposed outwardly of one of said grooves, said light source assembly having a pair of flexible leads extending outwardly of said handle through said slot means with end portions of said leads disposed in and extending along said grooves, means substantially fixing said lead end portions against withdrawal along said grooves, a pair of resilient brush members, means respectively connecting said brush members to said terminal means and for supporting said brush members in sliding engagement with said lead end portions in said grooves, the brush members maintaining continuous engagement with said lead end portions in all positions of the movable handle.

6. A glow handle switch comprising an insulative housing and an operating handle movably supported in relation to said housing to actuate at least one contact arm for circuit making and breaking purposes, a pair of spaced terminal mt ans supported by said housing, a light source assembly disposed in a cavity within said handle, a cover member disposed over said cavity and retaining said light source assembly therein, slot means extending from said cavity to the exterior of said handle, said handle having at least one cam portion disposed for operating the switch contact arm, said handle having a pair of outwardly facing arcuate grooves disposed to opposite sides of said handle cover, said handle cam portion disposed outwardly of one of said grooves, said light source assembly having a pair of flexible leads extending outwardly of said handle through said slot means with end portions of said leads disposed in and extending along said grooves, an end of each of said lead end portions bent outwardly of the associated groove against an adjacent surface of said handle substantially to fix said lead end portions against withdrawal along said grooves, a pair of resilient brush members, means respectively connecting said brush members to said terminal means and for supporting said brush members in sliding engagement with said lead end portions in said grooves, the brush members maintaining continuous engagement with said lead end portions in all positions of the movable handle.

7. A glow handle switch comprising an insulative housing and an operating handle movably supported in relation to said housing to actuate at least one contact arm for circuit making and breaking purposes, a pair of spaced terminal means supported by said housing, a light source assembly disposed within said handle and having flexible leads extending outwardly of said handle, means on said handle supporting respective end portions of said leads, a pair of resilient wire brush members having respective connecting portions thereof disposed in sliding engagement with said lead end portions, a generally U- shaped end portion of each of said wire brushes fitted through an opening in the associated terminal means, a free end of said U-shaped end portion disposed against an edge surface of the associated terminal means such that said wire brushes are captivated in conductive engagement with said terminal means in reaction to the engagement forces produced by said handle on said brush connecting portions.

8. A glow handle switch comprising an insulative housing and an operating handle pivotally supported in relation to said housing to actuate at least one contact arm for circuit making and breaking purposes, a pair of spaced terminal means supported by said housing, a light source assembly disposed in a cavity within said handle, a cover disposed over said cavity and retaining said light source assembly therein, an overcenter device supported by said housing, said handle cover having a toggle linkage portion, said overcenter device engaging said toggle linkage portion to provide overcenter movement for said handle and to retain said cover on said handle, slot means extending from said cavity to the exterior if said handle, a pair of grooves disposed to opposite sides of said cover, said light source assembly having a pair of flexible lead-s extending through said slot means with lead end portions thereof extending along said grooves, means for substantially fixing said lead end portions against withdrawal along said grooves, a pair of resilient brush members, and means for conductively supporting said brush members on said terminal means for sliding engagement with said lead end portions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,134,696 11/1938 Bigman. 2,246,613 6/1941 Bigman. 2,494,560 1/1950 K'aupp 200l67 X ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner.

H. O. JONES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A GLOW HANDLE SWITCH COMPRISING AN INSULATIVE HOUSING AND AN OPERATING HANDLE MOVABLY SUPPORTED IN RELATION TO SAID HOUSING TO ACTUATE AT LEAST ONE CONTACT ARM FOR CIRCUIT MAKING AND BREAKING PURPOSE, A PAIR OF SPACED TERMINAL MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAID HOUSING, A LIGHT SOURCE ASSEMBLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HANDLE AND HAVING FLEXIBLE LEADS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID HANDLE, MEANS ON SAID HANDLE SUPPORTING RESPECTIVE END PORTIONS OF SAID 